


Beyond Measure

by jasminetea



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Courtship, Damsel in distress saves herself, Deeds, Fairy Tales, Gender neutral royal titles, Honestly Charles What Are You Thinking, Kings & Queens, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Misunderstandings, Sentient Kingdoms, Shaw the Terrible Dragon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-07
Updated: 2013-09-09
Packaged: 2017-11-15 20:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/531300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasminetea/pseuds/jasminetea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The tale of a King and his loyal Knight, told in threes as all such tales are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for this [prompt](http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/7634.html?thread=13215186#t13215186) on the kink meme, which asked for King Charles repeatedly trying to reward his knight, Erik, for his deeds, but Erik always refusing. Charles uses magic to discover Erik's greatest desire, and then things go awry...
> 
> With thanks to the anons who offered suggestions when I asked. Updates will be slow due to school and the editing this fic will (hopefully) get. I'm trying to hammer out the shifts in tone and tenses.

_Once upon a time, in a distant kingdom, there lived a benevolent King…_

 

 

 

The succession of kingdoms could be a rite of great strife or joy, requiring more than mere possession of blood or power.  King Charles had inherited Genosha through his stepfather’s family.  It was an unexpected ascension, as Charles was not of the royal family’s seed, but magic was a fickle thing, and had seen both Cain and Kurt as unworthy of the crown. 

 

Charles hadn’t _wanted_ to become King.  He wanted to be a mage, but when the kingdom’s magic chose him, he couldn’t help but think this was like wishing for a sip of water and receiving an ocean.

 

But the kingdom was not to be denied, and so Charles became King.  His closest relation was his kin-sister, Raven, a powerful sorceress in her own right who had learned to change her shape at will.  As a King with neither partner nor child, Raven became the Prince in Waiting, until the magic so choosed who Charles’ successor would be.

 

As the Prince, Charles tried to keep Raven within the realms of the kingdom.

 

“Do not go beyond our borders, sister,” he implored.  “My magic cannot protect you, nor will I be able to find you, no matter what glass I scry through, or what animal’s eyes I see through.  My magic ends where the land does.”

 

Raven merely shook her head.  “You cannot keep a unicorn from drawing close to maidens, no matter the danger the maiden may possess.  You cannot keep me here, when I long to wander now and then, no matter the danger the road and its people may possess.”

 

And so, when the wind blew west, Raven would pack her belongings and travel the road until the east wind brought her back.

 

However, in the late fall, the east wind had blown twice, and Raven had still not returned.  Charles grew sick with worry, and no matter how he tried to find her, neither his magic nor men could find her.

 

At last, as the last of the autumn leaves fell, word reached him.

 

Charles’ Head Guard quickly entered his solar.  “Sire,” he said, “there is at last news of your sister!  Come quickly!”

 

Charles followed Darwin down the stone corridors and carpeted halls.  “Your sister has been in the grasps of Shaw the Terrible, these past months.  But do not worry, sire, she is _safe!_   Saved by a traveling knight.  Come!”

 

Darwin led him to Raven’s room, and opened the door, and there was Raven, her red hair cropped shorter than he remembered.  She cried Charles’ name and he rushed into her arms.

 

They embraced, and exchanged relieved words and affection.

 

At last she drew apart for him.  “You must see the man who saved me, and thank him properly,” she said.  “Promise me.”

 

He promised.

 

“Now go.  Darwin knows where he is.”  She watched her brother leave with yellow eyes crinkled in a small smile.

 

Darwin led Charles to one of the smaller libraries this time, opened the door, and gestured him to enter.

 

A man stood regarding the lacquered chess set next to the bay window.  His clothes were well-worn, his boots dusty, his leather cracked, but the sword he carried at his side was well-cared for.  Darwin had let the man keep the sword as homage to the deed he had done in saving the kingdom’s Prince.

 

“Hello,” Charles greeted.

 

The man turned to face him and replied, “Good afternoon, You Majesty.”  The man had a good face with clear eyes.  Charles also noticed he had not shaven in a number of days.

 

“Sir,” Charles began, and then paused, gathering his breath.

 

The man shook his head.  “I am no knight.  I am a blacksmith, as my father was in another land.”

 

Charles was emphatic.  “That does not matter.  You helped my sister return home, and for that I am grateful.  You are welcome to stay here, until we can be assured Shaw has been slain.”

 

The man looked at him oddly.  “Shaw is dead, slain at your sister’s hand.”

 

“Then what did _you_ do?”

 

“I helped her.  That’s all.”

 

“That does not matter, you _helped_ her and so she has asked I thank you as you so richly deserve.  I offer you Lordship over half the land.”

 

“I cannot accept that, Your Majesty.”

 

Charles frowned.  “Do you seek then, the opportunity to court my sister?”

 

“I do not seek that either.”

 

“If you will not accept Lordship, nor the opportunity to court Raven, what _will_ you accept?”

 

“What I will accept is something you cannot yet give, but perhaps with time you might.”

 

Charles looked at the man in puzzlement.  He had promised Raven he would reward the man, and so he would.

 

“What is something you wish that I can grant you, here, now?”

 

The man looked down at his feet, observing the carpet pattern beside his boots.  “I wish to serve you, Your Majesty.”

 

“In what manner?”

 

“In whatever manner you desire.”

  
Charles considered this man who would do the work of a knight, such as save a kingdom’s Prince, but was not a knight.

 

“This kingdom has no knight to serve her.”

 

“Your Majesty, do _you_ need a knight to serve?”

 

Charles was taken aback by the question.

 

“Yes,” Charles replied at length. “Yes, I do.”

 

The man smiled, and Charles began to feel as he did when he first began to learn magic.  “Then I accept.”

 

“I require your name to knight you properly.”

 

The man nodded solemnly.  “Erik,” he said.  “My name is Erik.”  And he unbuckled his sword, kneeled, and offered it to Charles with bowed head.

 

Charles grasped the sheath in his left hand.  “Well then, Erik.  Are you prepared to see magic at work?”  Charles raised his other hand to summon the kingdom’s magic.  The papers in the room began to quiver and the floors to creak.  Erik raised his head and looked around in wonderment.  When he saw Charles’ mischievous grin, he returned it with his own.

 

 

 

_…who had a steadfast Knight by his side._


	2. One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first of three deeds: to capture a demon made of smoke.

_The Knight braved many dangers for his King..._

 

 

 

"Come with me."  Charles beckoned Erik to walk with him.  It was unnecessary; Erik could almost always be seen in the presence of the King, always walking behind and to the left by two steps, and on occasion, walking beside him.

 

Charles turned his head once, making sure Erik was with him, and then he continued his way through the carpeted halls and down the wooden floors that led to the summer garden.

 

With the warm air, and the attention paid by the gardeners, the garden was in full bloom.  Bees buzzed between the open blooms, and a pair of quails paraded through the dust with their chicklets.  The veranda was full of vines dipped low with fruit.

 

Charles took a seat beneath the overhang, grabbing a bunch of grapes.

 

Erik remained standing, and Charles shook his head.  "Go ahead and sit, Erik."  With a creak of leather, he did so.  Charles passed him the fruit.

 

"Erik," he said.  "I am in need of your services."

 

Erik was quiet.  He carefully plucked the grapes from the steam and ate.  "Yes."

 

"There is a demon," Charles continued.  "Who is causing hardship in the countryside.  No one has been able to capture him; they say he disappears into smoke.  I would send you to capture him."

 

Erik finished the fruit.  "If that is what you want of me," he demurred.

 

"Then, please, Erik, go forth and capture him, and let my country return to its peace."

 

 

 

Erik returned late in the day as Charles was finishing his daily audiences.  Erik came as the last of the supplicants left, and Charles was eager to leave the uncomfortable throne.

 

"Erik!  I am so glad to see you!"

 

The few servants remaining quietly excused themselves.  Erik approached the throne and knelt.

 

"Your Majesty."

 

Charles rose from his seat and stepped off the dais.  "None of that from you, Erik."  He looked closer at Erik's condition.  He was dusty and unshaven, but his blade looked to be well-kept.

 

Erik rose.  "It is done, Your Majesty." 

 

Charles peered around Erik's body, and Erik continued.  "He is with Darwin, who said he would take him to the prisons."

 

"Ahhh, I see.  Well done, Erik.  Genosha thanks you for defending her, and I thank you for setting my mind at ease.  If you don't mind my asking, how did you capture a demon made of smoke, Erik?"

 

Erik remained still.  “I fashioned a bracelet made from the body of a fallen star.”

 

Raising an eyebrow Charles queried, "Are you sure you're not a mage?"

 

"Positive."

 

"Well, then," Charles said as he began to exit the room.  "What would you like to do first, return to your rooms or eat?  You look like either would do you good."

 

"Food would be excellent."  Erik followed Charles out the room and down the plush corridors gently lit with lamps.

 

As they walked together, Charles asked once more, "What would you like as your reward for a deed done?"

 

“What I desire," he said very clearly and slowly, "is beyond the value of a kingdom.” 

 

“Oh come now, that's hardly an answer!  Tell me, friend, or else I cannot even hope to know if I may ever repay you.”  Charles slung an arm round Erik's shoulder.

 

Erik merely shook his head.

 

The two continued, and when Erik took his late supper in the kitchen, Charles sat down across from him, and they talked late into the night of their adventures.

 

 

_...and after each deed he did for the King, the King would ask, "What can I do in return?" and each time the Knight's answer remained the same._


	3. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second deed: to render the demon unto the Phoenix as she demands.

_The King offered the Knight many things: gold, jewels, fine clothes embroidered and pearled..._

 

"There you are, Erik!"  Looking up from the maps sprawled across his large oak desk, Charles greeted Erik with a forced smile.

 

Erik frowned.  "What's wrong?"

 

Charles edged around the table, trailing his fingers across the papers.  "I was just about to look for you."

 

"You mean, you were going to send for me."

 

"The same thing," Charles replied with a wave of his hand.  "You see, I have another task for you."

 

"It is my pleasure to serve as His Majesty requires."

 

"The Phoenix of the Red Sands has heard we captured the demon - "

 

"Azazel," Erik gently corrected.

 

Charles raised an eyebrow but continued.  " - has heard we captured the demon Azazel.  She has asked we send him to her."

 

"Why?"

 

"When the Phoenix asks for something, I am not in the habit of asking her why."  He looked skyward, and if Charles had been wearing his crown, it would've slipped down.  "She's a sweet woman, but perhaps that makes the power she wields all the more terrifying.  If you want a more practical reason though," he said looking to Erik now, "Genosha imports most of her salt from the Red Sands."

 

Erik inclined his head in understanding.  Charles watched him.  He was dressed informally, in trousers and a dirty shirt, looking entirely unflappable.  Charles wondered how he could maintain his calm so constantly.  He'd asked Erik about that, and the constant state of dirtiness his clothes were in; Erik had merely said, "Clothes are to be worked in," and, "You are the only person who has ever called me _calm_."

 

Sunlight filtered into the room through the linen curtains, pulled aside to reveal the courtyard below them.  The only sounds were the horses coming and going and the yelling from the kitchens.

 

"What do you need from me?" Erik asked at last.

 

"I need you to escort Azazel from here, across the Windy Straits and to that beautifully fearsome woman, Phoenix."

 

Erik was unimpressed.  "Ah, I mean, please take Azazel to the Phoenix," Charles corrected.

 

"As you wish," Erik said.  He made to exit the room but Charles looked at the chess set sitting innocuously in the corner gathering dust.

 

"Do you play chess by chance?"

 

Erik's face clouded with confusion.  "No, it's a game of the upper class.  Why?"

 

"When you come back, would you care to learn?" 

 

Erik looked at him strangely, somewhat gently.  "You don't need to worry, I promise I'll return."

 

Denial was on the tip of Charles' tongue, but with the way the tension in him unwinds, he bit it instead.

 

"Come back safely."

 

 

 

"The deed is done," Erik said very solemnly.

 

Charles looked up from the thick volume of _Genoshan Monarchs, A History_ , carefully marking his place with a ribbon and placing it on the bureau to his side.  He reclined in the couch, folding his hands across his stomach.

 

"Is it?"

 

Erik swept into the ironwrought chair across from him.  No one liked the chair, too many people said it looked like a device of torture, but since it was the invention of the Thirtieth King of Genosha's - a woman Charles was glad he never encountered - it had been relegated to a minor library Charles was fond of.

 

"It is," Erik confirmed.

 

“Why are you lying to me Erik?”  At the knight’s confused look he added, “The Phoenix wanted Azazel for only one reason: to kill him.  And Azazel is made from very old magic - had he been slain, I would have felt it through the kingdom.  All old magic knows each other.”

 

Erik's face broke open, and his mouth spilled out words like clear water, “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but it was the right thing to do.”

 

"What did you do, Erik?"

 

Erik clenched his hands, the movement a rare departure from his usual calm demeanor.  "I let him go."

 

Charles blinked.  “I am sure," he said slowly, "you had good reason to do so.  Tell me, then, why you spared the demon’s life, even though that was not what I asked.”

 

“Who am I to bar two lovers reunited?”  Erik leaned forward, strangely vulnerable in the moment.

 

“Lovers?”

 

Erik nodded.  “As I was crossing the Windy Straits, my ship washed upon the Sorcerer’s island.  I could not leave Azazel alone in the ship, so I took him with me.  The Sorcerer of the Straits, the man without voice -  Had he words, I think they would have poured like the mountain streams in spring at the sight of Azazel.  I do not know his name, but Azazel did, and when he spoke it, they ran to each other.

 

I released Azazel’s bonds after he vowed to spend the remainder of his days on the island and causing no harm.”

 

“Will you not tell me the Sorcerer’s name?”

 

“No.  That is their secret to keep.  There are some things not meant to be shared.”

 

“I see,” Charles said.  “It is a good thing you have done.  How can I reward you for having the mercy to give a man’s life to love?”

 

“I want for nothing, Sire,” he demurred with eyes cast down.

 

Charles was conflicted, wanting to continue asking, but also needing to speak with the Phoenix.

 

"You're lucky," he said, "that Jean is a believer in love."

 

Erik smiled, and Charles thought Jean could wait just a moment longer.

 

 

_...and still, the Knight refused each of the King's gifts._


	4. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third deed is given, but all is not well.

_At last, in desperation, the King turned to his magic to discover what the Knight most desired..._

Erik hung on Raven's arm.  She laughed brightly, spinning in circles to watch her skirt fly.  She took Erik along with her, his stumbling steps a humorous counterpoint to her easy elegance.

 

"C'mon Erik!" she shouted.  "I know you don't have lead feet.  Dance with me!" 

 

She slipped her hands into his, and tried to spin him with her.  Erik's face was more open than Charles had ever seen it.

 

Watching them from the pillars that marked the entrance to the Garden of Pools, Chalres felt strangely foreign.  He wanted to give them a few more moments together, but having already done that a mark ago, he did not want to wait any longer.

 

He called out to Raven, asking if she could spare Erik a spell.

 

She flipped her golden hair and replied, "He's yours anyway." Erik looked dismayed.  She ran off into the pools, discarding her slippers along the way.

 

Erik greeted him.

 

"Erik, I have one more task of you.  If you choose to take this task, the magic binding you to the Kingdom will dissolve; if you wish to still be Genosha's Knight, I will be more than willing to cast the bind you again."

 

Bowing his head, Erik stepped closer.

 

"This task is not of the same as the others,” Charles warned.

 

"My answer is as it's always been, if it is what you want, then yes," he said patiently.

 

Uneasiness settled across Charles' shoulders.  Perhaps it was Raven's easy manner with Erik, or that after this, Erik might not stay with him.

 

Charles shivered, and Erik made to offer him his cloak, but Charles held his hand out to decline.

 

“Then venture forth," said Charles, "to Empress Emma of the Labyrinths.  She has heard of your deeds and asked of me something I cannot give, so I send her my best knight, in hopes that he will be able to help her.”

 

 

Erik returned to Genosha in the midst of the summer rains; the rain fell hard, and the air was heavy with it.  Erik arrived a mark past dinner, as the kitchen was cleaning everything up, but Charles was sure they would keep their doors open for Erik.

 

Despite his taciturn nature, Erik was well-liked amongst the Palace and its staff.  Very few doors were ever closed to him, and those that were contained volatile magics and well-kept secret - but if Erik asked to see these things, Charles was not sure he would be able to say no.

  
Charles smiled to himself, imagining the way Erik must be submitting himself to the pampering of the staff.  He was greatly surprised, then, to see Erik enter his personal chambers looking weary to the bone, and perhaps heartsick.  It was the latter that unsettled Charles more than he cared to admit.

 

Examining him closely, Charles could discern no obvious reason Erik should look so miserable.  He was dry, didn't appear ill, and wasn't shivering.  Charles creased his letter - from a freckled music journeyman who was about to pass through Genosha gain - and pressed his seal into it. 

 

“May I ask what Emma asked of you?” Charles asked cautiously.

 

Erik swallowed, the apple of his throat bobbing.  “She asked to sing Shaw to rest.”

 

Charles raised an eyebrow, unsure why that should affect Erik that way or why Emma would even make such a display.  "I sense a story here." 

 

“Did you know,” Erik began slowly, trying to measure out his words, “that Azazel, the Sorcerer of the Straits, Emma, and Shaw were all once companions - before they became who they are now.  When Shaw began to earn his reputation as the Terrible, things soured and became poorly.  But the others remember their time together.  And so the Empress wished to do this one last thing.

 

I handed her Shaw's ashes - ”

 

“His ashes?  However did you find those?  They were scattered to the wind.”

 

Erik was not alarmed by the interruption.  “And so they were collected from it, and placed together by the Sorcerer; he is a master of the wind.  When the Empress told me of her request, I journeyed to the Sorcerer, and he gave them to me, both because of his friendship with the Empress, and because I had aided him.

 

I handed her his ashes, and she cried as those do who have lost truly.  And when she was done, she spoke Azazel’s name – he came – and asked him to throw the jar into the heart of the volcano that lies east of here.”

 

"Oh," said Charles, because there was nothing he could say.

 

Erik turned to leave, but Charles called out.

 

"I know if I ask you what boon you would like, you give me the same answer you always have.  But tell me, my friend, what does your heart desire most?"

 

Erik turned his face, and the candelight fell across it.  His fingers gripped the doorway.  "Serving you is enough," he roughly said, and then he departed.

 

It most certainly was not enough, so Charles took out his old books, and poured a circle of salt for the spell he was about to cast.

 

 

 

The witching hour held a great deal of power, and a quarter past it, right as Charles finished the preparations for the spell, Prince Raven knocked on the door.

  
"Charles," she cried.  "What are you doing?"

 

Charles reluctantly left his supplies and opened the door.  "I am doing right by Erik," he replied firmly.

 

Raven took in the room, the circle of salt, the chalked lines, the burning candle and the lock of hair in a bowl. 

 

"What are you doing?  Because what I see is my brother being foolish as he hasn't been since Erik came to you."

 

"Raven," he said, taking her hand.  "He has done so much for me, for you, for us, for Genosha.  Should I not give him what I am capable of giving?"

 

Raven shook her head violently, pulling her hands away from Charles.  "You're a fool if you think a spell can tell you that.  You don't even know your own heart, how can you know his?"

 

"Raven--" he reached out for her again but she her words cut his off.

 

"Don't - don't come crying to me when this is done."  Her distress was clear, but she left in a flurry of blue velvet.

 

No matter, Charles thought, he would discuss that with her tomorrow.  For now, he needed to harness the witching hour for the spell.

 

The magic was ready and eager, and Charles had his answer soon enough.  He needed time to ponder what the magic revealed.  He asked his day and night be cleared so he had ample time to reflect.  The state of a man’s heart was not to be taken lightly after all.

 

He spent the day in his chambers, pacing his work room, cleaning it, reading from his personal library, toying with the ivory knight from his chess set.

 

At last, he rose from his seat.  Yes, he thought to himself, I know what I should do.

 

 

 

The first thing Charles did upon leaving his chambers was tell Darwin he was to take no petitioners, and that he was to make sure no one entered the throne room, and then to tell Erik to meet him there after his meal.  Darwin looked puzzled, but said nothing.

 

As Charles made his way to the throne room, he passed Raven, her arms crossed.

 

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

 

Charles replied cheerfully that he had.

 

Raven shook her head, and then let him pass. 

 

Shutting the doors firmly behind him, Charles discarded his cloak behind the throne, leaving his body naked.  He settled into the throne to wait, but the throne was cold, and he was eager for Erik to arrive, so he moved about the throne.  When Erik at last entered the room, Charles was leaning against his palm, one leg dangling and the other thrown across the chair's arm.

 

"Your Majesty, Darwin said - "

 

Erik stopped and stared at him dumbly.  "Charles, what is going on?"

 

Charles frowned.  “Isn’t this what your heart desires most?”

 

Erik turned his face to the side, and made his way toward Charles, a feat Charles found himself impressed by.  Erik unclasped his handsome cloak of scarlet and indigo.  He wrapped it round Charles shoulders to clothe his nakedness, and only then did he look upon Charles.

 

“Sire, I.” Charles saw the struggle in his knight’s face.  “…do lust for you body, but what I want is still more valuable than that, and you would make a mockery of it.”

 

Erik splayed his large palm against the beat of Charles’ heart.  His long fingers pulled at the cloak.

 

“What I want,” he said at last.  Charles was breathless.  “Must be freely given, and it is not.  I see that now.”

 

“But I saw with my magic, you love me.”

 

And Erik looked stricken.  “If this is what you think I desire, you are mistaken, Sire.”

 

They stared at each other, and Charles tried to understand what Erik’s eyes said.

 

“Let me take you back to your room so you may dress.”  Erik escorted Charles back, and somehow they encountered no person.  The wounded look did not leave Erik, and Charles wondered where he had gone awry. 

 

When Charles woke the next morning, it was to the news Erik had left in the night.

 

 

_...but not even magic can divine what the heart desires most._


	5. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is for the good of the kingdom that Prince Raven goes to speak with Charles, but she also goes as his sister, and sisters know best.

_Although the King was powerful and mighty, he could not answer why his Knight had left him..._

 

 

Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, and Erik did not return.  Charles grew sad, for although the knight had only been with him a brief time, he had grown dear to the king.  The palace grew quiet as well, afraid that the slightest noise would jostle his spirit from  his body.  It is known, after all, that in Genosha, the lovesick do not cleave to their bodies closely.

 

At last, the servants convinced the prince to speak to her brother, for none other had any hopes of drawing him back to his duties as king.

 

Raven did not knock when she swept into Charles' private library.  "I told you," she declared, "do not come crying to me when you make a mess of this.  And you have.  Luckily, I am a benevolent sister, and have come to you."

 

She eyed Charles, slumped low on the velvet chair with his arm thrown over his face.  "None of this soppy business," she said.  "Sit up, wash yourself up, and then we're going to talk."

 

He did as she told, mumbling, " _You_ are going to do all the talking."  Raven smiled to herself.

 

When Charles emerged, and sat in the leather chair, Raven came to stand before him.  "Now, tell your beloved sister what is ailing your poor heart."

 

Charles looked up miserably at her.  "He - "

 

"None of that, start your sentence with _I,_ because we know he would not have left you on his own."

 

Raven felt a pang of guilt as his face fell even more, but she was the prince, and she had a duty to do right by this. 

 

He licked his lips and began again.  "I did something, and Erik left."

 

"Do you know what you did?" she asked a bit more gently.

 

"No!"  He got up, shouldered past her, and began pacing the room. 

 

"Did you do anything different or new?"

 

When he paused his pacing and looked guiltily at her, Raven knew she was leading him the right way.  She raised her eyebrow.

 

"Oh, fine, Raven!  Do not judge me; I might have been naked."

 

She made a face.  While she did like to go naked about her own chambers, she did not want to know how pale -- or fair, as others said -- her brother was.

 

He returned her look one of his own.  "Fine," Raven added, "no judging from me."

 

He dropped himself across the velvet chair again, and Raven was sure his rear was going to leave a lasting imprint in it.  She could imagine it: when she was king, there would be a plaque there saying, HERE LIES KING CHARLES' LASTING IMPRINT UPON THIS KINGDOM.

 

"I was waiting for him, naked, in the throne room."

 

"Sitting like that?" her tone leaving it abundantly clear what she thought of that.

 

"Raven... he did not take as well to it as I thought..."

 

"He could like women, you know.  You can't be everyone's type Charles.  He could be torridly in love with me and was in a hurry to make love to me."

 

"He is not though; I saw his heart's desire, and it was me."

 

The tension went out of Raven.  "And what you saw was you and he intimate?"

 

"No.  That is not how the magic worked, you know that.  You have to divine from what it gives you."

 

"So what part of the spell made you think he wanted to have sex with you?"

 

"What was I supposed to do Raven?  I didn't want him to go; the initial spell to bind him as Genosha's Knight no longer held him after that last quest.  He would have to ask for it again, and why would he, when I had nothing I could offer him?"

 

Raven perched herself on the chair's arm.  She rested her head against his shoulder.  "Oh, Charles."

 

Charles drew Raven closer by her shoulder.  "I wanted him to stay."

 

"Why?  Did you want intimacies with him?"

 

"No.  Yes.  Not really.  I wanted more than that and --

 

" _Oh_."

 

Charles quickly left his seat and began talking to Raven about what he had to do.

 

Raven smiled, and quietly left the room, Charles so occupied he kept talking regardless.  Darwin was waiting for her at the end of Charles' wing; she liked that he made no pretenses for being there for any other reason.

 

"It's done," she said.

 

"Good," he replied.  "Should I send for the carpenter, then, for the new throne?"

 

"Mm, yes.  But be discreet; it wouldn't do for Charles to know we know him better than himself."

 

"Of course." 

 

Whistling, the two went arm in arm down to the rest of the castle to spread the news.

 

 

_...at last though, he realized that answer, and the one he'd longed to answer for so long, was hidden within his own heart - for the heart wants what it wants, and kindred calls to kindred._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The construction of a new throne is a reference to _Court Duel_ (or _Crown Duel_ depending on your edition) by Sherwood Smith.


	6. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first of three gifts: mail that shines like the sun.

_To win back his Knight, the King began bringing him gifts..._

The first thing Charles did was ask Raven, "Do you think you are ready for a go at running the kingdom?  I think I shall be occupied for about three months -- of course, if you have any problems, any at all, I will be here to help you."

 

She grinned and replied, "Of course I am, now go fetch your knight."

 

So Charles commissioned Genosha's finest craftsmen, and in the meanwhile, he searched for Erik.  He sent out queries, scrying spells, as well as a few birds.  Upon narrowing the field of search, he went out himself. 

 

He found Erik in the cold region bordered to the north by the ice oceans of the Empress and the dangerous mountain range Shaw once roamed to the west.   He did not go to Erik then, not empty handed.  He waited until the gift is done, and then he went to visit.

  
Erik lived in the blacksmith's house.  He looked different: Charles had grown use to him in the rich colors of the palace, but Erik was in plain, sturdy clothes.  His hands were the same, still dirty from work, and his face growing rough under the midday sun.

 

Erik was gracious enough, giving him a seat and a place to warm himself.  He even offered that this was indeed where his family has long practiced their trade.  He did not ask what Charles has brought with him, nor why he was there.

 

There was much Charles would say, but instead he said, "I have brought you a gift."

 

Erik took the package in both his hands.  He opened it and ran the fine mail through his hands like silk.  "This is finely made," he said, and his eyes were full of wonder.  "It shines like the sun."

 

Charles felt quite pleased with himself, but Erik then added:  "I cannot accept this."  He folded the mail and placed it in the rosewood chest Charles carried it in.

 

"Erik..."

 

"If you are so set to give me something, give something that would help others as well."

 

Confused, and a bit hurt, Charles let Erik usher him out along with his gift.

 

 

 

A fortnight later, Charles returned.  Erik seemed both surprised and not.  He cracked the door open, but slowly opened it to let Charles in.

 

Charles settled himself into a wrought-iron chair.  "I was thinking of what you said."

 

Erik went about as if Charles were not there, but he nodded to let Charles know he listened.

 

"You spent a lot of time with Raven, and seeing as you also helped free her from Shaw, she and I created a school of sorts."

 

Erik turned to face him, arms crossed.  "Of what?"

 

"Self-defense?"

 

He was unimpressed.    Charles continued nervously, "We are in the midst of setting up branches, especially in rural areas of the kingdom, since they take the longest for aid to reach.  Raven did not like being kidnapped, and we thought it a good thing to make sure girls do not have to wait for rescue like she did."

 

"Hmm," Erik said, setting a kettle to boil.

 

He let Charles stay for tea.

 

 

... _and after each gift, the Knight asked that the King give something that would please others instead._


	7. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second gift: a hammer that shines like the moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to get back in the swing of things as I prepare for RB. Posting for The Wine and The Women... will be slow, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the continuity.

_The King brought him many things, each more wondrous than the last..._

 

 

Charles brings his second gift beneath the midday sun.  Erik lets him in, but does not offer him a seat.  Charles sweeps in like the summer wind and hands it to him.

 

"I've brought you a hammer, Erik."

 

Erik unwraps it and hefts it in his hand, swinging it.  Charles thinks it a good thing Erik's home is so sparsely decorated, otherwise he would risk knocking things about.  There are a few personal items here and there, but they're mismatched: old glass, driftwood, leather bound books, nails, an old boot.

 

Erik nods.  "It is a fine thing, but it is not for me."

 

"I could bring you a sword if that's preferable, but I think you enjoy blacksmithing more than knighting."

 

Erik gives him an indulgent look.  "True.  I like the forge more than I like the sword, but a hammer that shines like the moon is not for smithing."  He gives it back to Charles with both his hands.

 

"If you want to give me something, give me something that will help not only me, but others."

 

 

Charles returns to Erik with nothing large this time, but a small thing wrapped in an old shirt.  "I'm sorry about that," he explains, "I didn't want anyone to suspect its value."

 

Erik grunts, and holds out his hand.  "Let's get it on with then."

 

Charles hands it over, and Erik unfurls the fabric.  When he sees the ring, his breath leaves his body.

 

"What is this?" he says.

 

"It's a ring.   Your mother's I believe."  Erik clenches his fist around the ring and then he turns it between his fingers.

 

"How?"

 

"Well, after your request, Raven told me where Shaw's lair was, and his horde really isn't his, and it's not doing anyone any good just sitting there.  So Genosha is distributing the belongings to their rightful owners; magic and all that.  This is yours, I believe."

 

"Yes," Erik says, "It is.  Thank you."

 

Erik lets him stay for lunch.

 

 

_...but still, the Knight would not accept them._


	8. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third gift is neither a cloak of a thousand furs nor a tunic that shines like the stars.

_Until one day, the King came, not with precious metals, but with something he had made with his own hands..._

 

 

Erik opens the door, and the scent of whatever he's cooking wafts through.  This time, Erik doesn't bother to see Charles settle himself, he goes to the iron stove and checks his pot.

 

Charles isn't sure whether to be flattered or annoyed that Erik is comfortable enough to hold this conversation with his back turned.  Charles settles himself into the wood chair and sets his satchel on the table.

 

"Don't tell me, you brought me a cloak made of a thousand furs?"

 

"No.  And I resent the fact you think I would abuse you in such a manner."  Erik gives him a look, and Charles quails.

 

He tries again.  "Look, I'm sorry about what I did.  I shouldn't have used magic to see what you really wanted.  I was wrong, and I'm sorry.  
  
  


"Do you know what you should have done instead?"

 

"I should have asked you, and I'm asking now, what do you want?"

 

Erik is silent.

 

"Did you bring a tunic that shines like the stars?"

 

Charles takes what he can and exhales.  "No.  Nothing like that.  Open it up; see for yourself."

 

Erik turns the fire off, and stands across for Charles and takes the satchel.

 

"A chess set?"

 

"I made this one myself, and I'm afraid my woodworking is a bit shoddy after all these years..."  Charles eyes the uneven pieces as Erik takes them out one by one, examining them carefully.  Charles continues, "I know you keep asking I give not just to you, but to others, but I realized, nothing I was giving you was really useful to you.

 

"I know I promised to teach you chess, and I know how much you eyed my set.  I thought about giving you that one, but I thought it'd mean more if I made it myself."

 

"You're right."

 

Erik puts the set back in the satchel and sets it near the table legs.  He takes out a dinner setting for one, and then two people.  "Already made yourself comfortable so you might as well stay and eat."  He shrugs.

 

The meal is the easiest he's seen Erik in a long time, and the conversation is easy like it used to be.

 

When they're done, he helps Erik clear the table and attempts to wash his dishes.  Erik merely shakes his head and tells him to set up the game.

 

Charles beams.  They play a game, and when it is over, Erik asks him to stay.

 

 

_...and the Knight smiled and accepted it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an epilogue after this! :)


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking around guys!

_There was once a King and a Knight..._

 

 

No matter his desire to stay the night and many more, Charles could not.  He had not even told his sister that he would be gone this long at all. 

 

So it was with a reluctant heart that Charles left Erik's home.  "I promise I will come back," he said, pressing a kiss to the tips of Erik's fingers.

 

And Erik had replied, "I could not keep you away when I wanted to; I doubt things have changed."

 

It was much to Charles' surprise that when he returned to the palace, Raven was not overcome with worry, but rather joy.

 

She leapt into his arms with great enthusiasm, forcing Charles to lean back to take her weight.

 

"I admit," he said.  "This was not the homecoming I was expecting."

 

"You stayed _the night_!" she exclaimed.  "I knew you had it in you!"

 

Charles blushed and set her down.  "I came back because I didn't want to worry you."

 

She slapped his shoulder.  "You should've just stayed!  I have things well under control here, and anything I don't know, Darwin does."

 

The steward lifted his hand in greeting from the far side of the hall.  Charles nodded back.

 

Raven pushed through, "We'll resupply you and then you can head back.  Surely you haven't fixed quite _everything_ with Erik yet have you?"  She tilted her head, and only his sister could be both mischievous and genuine at once.

 

Charles said this was so, and by midmeal, he was on his way back to Erik.

 

 

There was no reply when Charles knocked upon Erik's door and it was locked as well.  Charles backed away and looked around; there was another building nearby that was merrily emitting smoke.

 

Charles entered, and Erik was at work.  He set to wait, and looked upon the various works Erik had upon his table.  There was cutlery, small animals, a shield, a cattle prod.

 

Erik was putting his tools away when Charles came to the last item.

 

“What is this?” Charles said picking up a crown made of star metal.  It was adorned with no jewels, but he felt raised and carved lines.  He raised it into the light to look upon it, and saw the scrolling was a shifting mass of etchings and words of power.

 

Erik put down his hammer.  “After I left the palace, it was here.  The metal, it sings,” is all he said.

 

Charles knew what this was.  It was a crown for a King. 

 

There were some Kings of Genosha who communed with her quite well.  In fact, there were records the third King always had tea where she conversed with no one, but insisted it was the kingdom she spoke with.  It was far more common for the monarch to have an inkling, an intuitive knowing of what the kingdom wanted, but Charles had never been good at that part of ruling.  Raven had shown far more aptitude.  But this, this was a sign even he understood.

 

"Erik," Charles began.  "There's something I should've told you last night." 

 

Erik looked at him and urged him to continue.  He did so, adding, "I want there to be no misunderstanding between us.I would have you by my side as King, if you would accept." 

 

"Do you expect me to sell my home, give up my trade, and live with you in the palace?  What would you give me in exchange?" 

 

_Do you ask me as your equal?_

"I ask none of that of you.  While I doubt you'd enjoy me living here and holding petitions here, we can figure those things out."  Charles toys with the crown's edges pensively.  "I love you.  I'm afraid that's all I can really offer you."

 

Erik stepped closer to Charles, and Charles could feel the warmth of his body.  He laid his hands over Charles', which still grasped the crown.

 

"You have indeed given me a gift that is beyond measure," Erik whispered against Charles' lips.

 

Charles placed the crown upon Erik's brow, and Erik took his kiss.

 

 

 

_...who lived happily ever after._


End file.
